Tuesday, September 6, 2016

TIP: Peace Binding

I will definitely need to post a couple photos as an example of this. (Check back later.)
But, some basic tips were discussed earlier in the [url=https://www.facebook.com/groups/1037086989698838/permalink/1055453487862188/]Facebook group[/url].

But, one of the most important things to take into account in your cosplay is that security for whatever venue you are at will want your sword, and/or other bladed weapons, tied off so that they cannot be removed from the scabbard. One of the common names for this is "peace binding".

In many venues, simply having a baldric or frog with a strap that snaps shut is enough. In other venues, they will want you to have it tied so that drawing the blade is impossible; usually with obvious/ugly zip ties, if you failed to do so yourself. Also, be aware that most local governments prohibit the carrying of such weapons in public, outside of the venue (in some cases at all), even if they are peace bound. ALWAYS be aware of the local laws and venue rules before attending any event.

So, you have your sword. It sits nice and neat in your baldric, or frog attached to a belt. You don't have a strap, or the venue you will be attending says that's not good enough. But, you still want to be able to be able to take it out for photos (assuming that's permitted; again, know the rules beforehand) Here's what you do...

Find yourself some string or ribbon that matches your costume and is strong enough that it won't break if you pull on it too hard. (If you don't care about ever taking the sword out for show, or that is not permitted, or you're just not sure, find some zip ties that match and follow the remaining directions.) I highly recommend against using leather cord, as it will be too spongy when you go to tie it off, causing the knot to come loose, or might even snap at the knot as you tie it.

Your baldric or frog will typically have loop holes for the leather cord used to tie the scabbard to it. Pull the string through one of the loop holes closest to the guard, and cross-wise over the guard, around the hilt, back down, then repeat in the opposite direction using the opposite loop hole. Alternately, I use two strings, one for each side. Also, my guard has additional holes that I can loop through an extra time each side, which helps add some style as I'm binding.

Tie the string to itself with a strong knot, to prevent it from unraveling. In my case, a double-granny knot on each string is enough that I can't get it loose without picking at it for an hour. (No joke. Twice Harriet asked to see the blade, twice I couldn't.) However, depending what material your string is made of, you may need to tie it differently. Don't tie it like a shoelace, that absolutely will come loose when you don't want it too.

Finally, holding the scabbard, give the hilt a few good tugs. If the sword doesn't budge, and the string is not pulling too tight on the frog, you've got it right!